Correspondence piece



Mrch 1 2, 1968 R. A. GIURLANDOI 3,372,860

CORRESPONDENCE PIECE Filed June 21, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /0 L1 ll 4 w I FIG. lb /5 3 F/GL/c FIG. 2

. INVENTOR.

RICHARD A. GIURLANDO gnmg'm v ATTORNEY March 12, 1968 R. A. GIURLANDO 3,372,860

CORRESPONDENCE PIECE Filed June 21, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheei 2 fi 4 H6. 30 /4 30 b I L 1a 6x 30 E I 42/ F/G. 3b

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FIG. 4

INVENTOR. RICHARD A. GIURLANDO BY ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofilice 3,372,860 CORRESPONDENCE PIECE Richard A. Giurlando, Fairport, N.Y., assignor to Xerox Corporation, Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 21, 1966, Ser. No. 559,142. 6 Claims. (Cl. 229-68) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates in general to a correspondence piece and more particularly to a markable insert slideable within its own envelope.

In an age where the need to correspond is a reality in the life of almost every individual, there has been a long standing need to ease and speed the mechanics required to correspond. These mechanical operations usually include obtaining a markable surface, writing the message, folding or otherwise accommodating the size of the message piece to an envelope, inserting the message into the envelope and sealing the envelope.

Some transmittals of correspondence are intended to prompt a high percentage of return mailings while other correspondence is sent with no acknowledgement or re turn mailing being required, or expected. In the return mail situation the need to ease and speed up the mechanics of transmitting correspondence is felt by both the addressor and the addressee. Particularly in return mail situations where the addressee is requested or invited to return mail certain information, monies, orders and such is the need felt for easing and speeding the mechanics to be performed by the addressee to complete the return mailing. Examples of mailings which request or invite return mailings include public opinion polls, market research programs, charitable solicitations for funds, billings for funds legally due, solicitations of return mail orders for goods and services and even business correspondence Where an acknowledgement is required or proper.

It is well known that the percentage of return mailings in answer to direct mail inquiries or invitations is often disappointingly low and attempts to increase this percentage are often frustrated by addressees who balk at the mechanics of handling, filling out and return mailing multi-part forms. Too frequently it is found that parts of the questionnaire become separated from each other or from the reply envelope and one or the other may then easily become misplaced, thus nullifying the whole direct mail effort.

In such programs where thousands or hundreds of thousands of mail pieces may 'be sent out in hopes that addressees will reply by an enclosed return mail envelope, any device which could eliminate, ease or speed up return mail mechanics would increase the percentage return of such direct mail programs which, of course, would be of immense benefit.

Even in situations where no reply is anticipated as in certain business communications, such as intra-corporate communications Where one often desires to send a short note protected by an envelope to keep confidential the information contained therein and to protect the note from defacement during transmission, it is clear that the elimination, easing or speeding up of one or more of the me- 3,372,860 Patented Mar. 12, 1968 chanical steps normally associated with transmitting correspondence would greatly facilitate the progress of business in offices.

Prior art mailing devices, correspondence pieces and return mail configurations have been less than completely satisfactory in providing a mechanism to facilitate the transmission of direct and return mail correspondence. For example, the correspondence pad disclosed in Kennedy Patent No. 1,205,355 featuring the familiar selfsealing, fold-over configuration of message piece and envelope is diflicult to incorporate into a sophisticated direct mail package.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a correspondence piece which overcomes: the above-noted disadvantages and which satisfies the above-noted needs.

It is another object of this invention to provide a correspondence piece which eliminates the separating of a markable insert from its envelope and the possible misplacing of either the insert or the envelope.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a correspondence piece that cuts down on the mechanical operations to be performed to transmit the piece.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a correspondence piece attractive to addressees to ensure a higher percentage of return mailings in response to direct mail inquiries.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a correspondence piece with the above noted characteristics that is simple and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

The foregoing objects and others are accomplished in accordance with this invention by providing a correspondence piece comprising a markable insert that is slideable within and an integral part of its own envelope. The markable insert in a preferred embodiment may comprise a relatively rigid material with a closure flap or flaps at the edge of the insert adjacent the envelope opening when the insert is completely enveloped. The closure flap or flaps are neatly tucked into the envelope before use and are used to secure the insert in the envelope after completion of the message by sealing the flap or flaps to the outside of the envelope. The markable insert in a preferred embodiment may also comprise a retarding flap at the edge of the insert opposite to the edge with the closure flaps to engage an envelope retarding flap at the envelope opening to prevent complete disengagement of the insert from the envelope.

For a better understanding of the invention as well as other objects and further features thereof, reference is made to the following detailed disclosure of this invention to be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1(a) is a plan view of the front side of one embodiment of the invention showing the insert completely within its envelope, FIG. 1(b) is a plan view of the back side of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1(a) with the insert exposed and ready for marking, FIG. 1(c) is a plan view of the back side of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1(a) with the insert completely enveloped and sealed and ready for transmittal.

FIG. 2 is an alternative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3(a) is a sectional side view taken on line 3a'- 3a of the invention embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1(b), FIG. 3(b) is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the insert of the invention shown to be disengaged from the envelope;

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the invention shown in combination with an attached message piece or packet of information which may, for example, accompany the inventive correspondence piece herein in a direct mail inquiry.

For convenience, in this detailed description of the invention, the invention may be treated as a return mail piece to a direct mail inquiry but it is to be understood that the invention may also be used as a direct mail piece itself.

Referring now to FIG. 1(a) there is shown the inventive article herein with the markable insert completely within its envelope 11. The only exposed portion of the markable insert is that portion 12 exposed by semi-circular portions removed from generally rectangular front panel 14, and as will be shown, from envelope back panel 15, the removed portions being in direct opposed relation to each other to facilitate the grasping of the insert to slide it from the envelope marking position. illustratively, envelope front panel 14 includes the return address of the addressor with postage.

In FIG. 1(1)) there is shown back panel 15 of envelope 11 and markable insert 16 exposed and in a position to be filled in by the addressee. It is seen that generally rectangular front and back panels of envelope 11 have registering inner faces providing a sleeve or pocket therebetween for the insert, the panels 14 and 15 being connected permanently together along three of their edges the remaining edges providing an envelope opening 13.

Insert 16 terminates at one edge in a closure flap 18 which has an adhesive thereon and is piVOtable about crease 20. Before the insert is slid into exposed position, as herein illustrated, flap 18 may be neatly tucked into the envelope as shown in FIG. 1(a). The adhesive on flap 18 may be applied to either face of the flap to permit the sealing of the flap to either the front or the back panel of the envelope.

Preferably, the markable insert as it is shown in the various embodiments herein, should be sufficiently rigid to facilitate the ready insertion of the insert into the envelope by the addressee.

Referring now to FIG. 1(0) closure flap 13 is shown sealed to envelope back panel 15 to secure the insert within its envelope and to assure against unauthorized opening.

In FIG. 2 there is illustrated an alternative embodiment of the invention with the envelope 22 shown to be of business envelope configuration with the markable insert 24 exposed and in a position to be filled in by the addressee. One edge of insert 2 terminates in closure flap 26.

Referring now to FIG. 3(a), there is illustrated a sectional view of the envelope 11 and insert 16 embodiment of FIG. 1(b), the insert being partially exposed. It will be seen that total disengagement of insert from envelope would be prevented by envelope retarding flap 23 and insert retarding flap which will be seen to engage each other when the insert is substantially completely exposed, to inhibit the total disengagement of the insert from the envelope under ordinary sliding forces exerted on the insert by the addressee. Envelope retarding flap 28 may conveniently be formed by merely folding over towards the envelope sleeve or pocket, an extended, marginal lip portion of front panel 14 about crease 17 in register with the back panel 15 edge of the insert opening 13. Insert retarding flap 30 may conveniently be formed by merely folding over towards the envelope retarding flap in the same clockwise or counterclockwise direction as the fold of the envelope retarding flap, the end portion of insert 16 about crease 31. It is to be appreciated that envelope and insert retarding flaps constructed as herein described are an extremely practical and useful mechanism for preventing total disengagement of insert from envelope since said flaps may be constructed of the same material as the envelope and the insert respectively and may be formed by a mere folding step, the natural spring of the envelope and insert material allowing for easy bypass of the two flaps when the insert is slid into the envelope during piece construct-ion, while also providing for a large enough acute angle between the flaps and the envelope and insert material respectively after insertion, to allow the two flaps to engage each other to inhibit total disengagement when the piece is used.

It is clear that both sides of insert 16 may be used for marking or to collect data from an addressee and for some applications it might be desirable to provide for an alternative two-closure flap closing means 4 1 as illustrated in FIG. 3(1)). Adhesive on faces 42 of the two flaps would permit one to seal a flap to both the front and back panels of the envelope thus completely sealing and preserving in confidence data on both faces of the insert. it will be appreciated that the insert illustrated in FIG. 3(1)) is shown in complete disengagement from its envelope for illustrative purposes only and in normal use such disengagement would be prevented by the envelope and insert retarding flaps.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown an embodiment of the inventive correspondence piece 1% herein with insert 16 exposed for marking by the addressee, the correspondence piece shown in combination with and connected to packet 39 by weakened or creased portion 33 which may preferably be perforated for easy detachment of the correspondence piece 19 from the packet 35 by the addressee.

Packet 39 illustratively comprises sheets 36 which may be seen to include a wide variety of information depending upon the addressors purpose in sending the composite piece 46. For example, if the piece 41 is a marketing research direct mail piece, sheets 36 will give the background to the addressee for the questions to be proposed and answered on the markable insert 16. Or if the sender of the composite piece 40 is a seller soliciting orders for goods or services, sheets 36 may comprise a catalog listing of the various items or services for sale, or sheets 36 may advertise a single product with the correspondence piece 10 being utilized by the addressee as an order blank or as a means to request more information concerning the advertised goods or services. Piece 10 may also be used as a vehicle to transmit payment in the form of a check or currency back to the seller.

The combination in FIG. 4 might also be used by 0- licitors of funds where the sheets 36 could be Christmas cards or coupons or other token gifts to the addressee to prompt the return mailing of a donation from the addressee. For such use the sender might wish the insert to be comprised of rather than a single piece of material two or more pieces of material. For example, one of the pieces could be a partially made out check to induce the addressee to fill out the name of his bank and otherwise legally complete the check. This check form might be connected for ready detachment by a weakened or perforated crease to another sheet or sheets together comprising the markable insert. Also, if the insert comprises two or more sheets, some of the sheets may be coupons or cards to be torn off by the addressee before the remaining sheet or sheets are used by the addressee to return mail a message or donation. Sheets 36 may conveniently be held together with correspondence piece 10, to form one compact package for transmission by the addressor by a staple or closure flap, as is known in the art.

It is clear that if the inventive correspondence piece herein is to be used as a direct mail piece, rather than as addressees return mail piece, then certain adaptations of the piece could be made to facilitate this use, for example, envelope front panel 14 would not have a return address but would be left blank for fill-in by the sender of the piece, or it might contain an address of an addressee often communicated with by the sender. In addition, the markable insert 16 may take on a personalized makeup to contain, for example, an impressive letterhead, address, phone number and other personal information.

It will also be appreciated that packet 39 may comprise at least one inventive correspondence piece 19 to provide a composite piece 40 comprising two or more correspondence pieces 10 connected for easy detachment by a creased, weakened or perforated connection to provide a ready vehicle for transmitting a message and providing for a return mailing, for example, in a business context where one or more return messages or acknowledgments are expected.

Thus, has been described a correspondence piece with a markable insert which is slideable within and an integral part of its own envelope which cases and speeds up the mechanical operations of corresponding with another and gives to correspondents a new and useful tool which may be varied to adapt to any number of special situations, to facilitate and encourage the transmission and return mailing of correspondence.

Although the correspondence piece herein has been described specifically to illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention, variations of construction such as positioning envelope and insert retarding flaps other than at the extremities of the envelope and insert, respectively, may be utilized with similar results.

It will be understood that various other changes in the details, materials and arrangements of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention will occur to and may be made by those skilled in the art upon a reading of this disclosure and such changes are intended to be included within the principle and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A correspondence piece comprising:

(a) an envelope including generally rectangular front and back panels of substantially the same size and having registering inner faces providing a sleeve therebetween, each of said panels being connected together with the corresponding edge of the other panel along three of its edges for closing permanently the three edges, the remaining edge of each panel providing therebetween an envelope opening for inserting an insert into said sleeve; and,

(b) a manually slideable generally rectangular markable insert slideable within and an integral part of said envelope, the edge of said insert immediately adjacent and in register with the envelope opening when said insert is completely enveloped terminating in at least one closure flap having an adhesive thereon, each flap foldable about a common crease, and each flap to be sealed against the outside of a different envelope panel after the insert has been filled in and enveloped, to secure the insert in the envelope and to preserve it as a confidential communication.

2. A correspondence piece comprising:

(a) an envelope including generally rectangular front and back panels of substantially the same size and having registering inner faces providing a sleeve therebetween, each of said panels being connected together with the corresponding edge of the other panel along three of its edges for closing permanently the three edges, the remaining edge of each panel providing therebetween an envelope opening for inserting an insert into said sleeve, with a first panel of said envelope at the remaining open edge terminating in an envelope retarding flap folded about a crease, the crease in register with the remaining open edge of the remaining panel of said envelope, the flap folded as to be disposed at an acute angle relative to said first panel; and,

(b) a manually slideable generally rectangular markable insert slideable within and an integral part of said envelope, the edge of said insert immediately adjacent and in register with the envelope opening when said insert is substantially completely exposed terminating in an insert retarding flap, said insert retarding flap folded about a crease in a direction toward said envelope retarding flap said insert retarding flap disposed at an acute angle relative to said insert, the two retarding flaps, thus positioned to engage each other when said insert is substantially completely exposed but not completely disengaged from the envelope, to inhibit complete disengagement of the insert from the envelope under ordinary sliding forces exerted on the insert.

3. A correspondence piece according to claim 1 wherein a first panel of said envelope at the open edge terminates in an envelope retarding flap folded about a crease, the crease in register with the remaining open edge of the remaining panel of said envelope, the flap folded as to be disposed at an acute angle relative to said first panel, and wherein the edge of said insert immediately adjacent and in register with the envelope opening when said insert is substantially completely exposed terminates in an insert retarding flap, said insert retarding flap folded about a crease in a direction toward said envelope retarding flap said insert retarding flap disposed at an acute angle relative to said insert, the two retarding flaps, thus positioned to engage each other when said insert is substantially completely exposed but not completely disengaged from the envelope, to inhibit complete disengagement of the insert from the envelope under ordinary sliding forces exerted on the insert.

4. A correspondence piece according to claim 3 wherein the remaining open edge of the envelope back panel and front panel include-s a semi-circular indentation in direct opposed relation to each other to permit the ready grasping of said markable insert for sliding of said insert from the envelope, even when the insert is completely within the envelope.

5. A correspondence piece comprising:

(a) an envelope including generally rectangular front and back panels of substantially the same size and having registering innerfaces providing a sleeve therebetween, each of said panels being connected together with the corresponding edge of the other panel along three of its edges for closing permanently the three edges, said envelope detachably connected along any closed edge to at least one sheet containing graphic information, the remaining edge of each panel providing therebetween an envelope opening for inserting an insert into said sleeve, a first panel of said envelope at the open edge terminating in an envelope retarding flap folded about a crease, the crease in register with the remaining open edge of the remaining panel of said envelope, the flap folded as to be disposed at an acute anglerelative to said first panel; and

(b) a manually slidable generally rectangular markable insert slidable within said envelope, the edge of said insert immediately adjacent and in register with the envelope opening, when said insert is completely enveloped, terminating in at least one closure flap having an adhesive thereon, each flap foldable about a common crease, and each flap to be sealed against the outside of a different envelope panel after the insert has been filled in and enveloped, to secure the insert in the envelope and to preserve it as a confidential communication; and the edge of said insert immediately adjacent and in register With the envelope opening, when said insert is substantially completely exposed, terminating in an insert retarding flap, said insert retarding flap folded about a crease in a direction towards said envelope retarding flap said insert retarding flap disposed at an acute angle relative to said insert, the two retarding flaps, thus positioned to engage each other when said insert is substantially completely exposed but not completely disengaged from the envelope, to inhibit complete disengagement of the insert from the envelope under ordinary sliding forces exerted on the insert.

6. A correspondence piece comprising:

(a) an envelope including generally rectangular front and back panels of substantially the same size and having registering innerfaces providing a sleeve therebetween, each of said panels being connected together with the corresponding edge of the other panel along three of its edges for closing permanently the three edges, the remaining edge of each panel providing therebetween an envelope opening for inserting an insert into said sleeve, a first panel of said envelope at the open edge terminating in an envelope retarding flap folded about a crease, the crease in register with the remaining open edge of the remaining panel of said envelope, the flap folded as to be disposed at an acute angle relative to said first panel; and,

(b) a manually slidable generally rectangular markable insert slidable within said envelope, the edge of said insert immediately adjacent and in register with the envelope opening, when said insert is completely enveloped, terminating in at least one closure flap having an adhesive thereon, each flap foldable about a common crease, and each flap to be sealed against the outside of a different envelope panel after the insert has been filled in and enveloped, to secure the insert in the envelope and to preserve it as a confidential communication; and the edge of said insert immediately adjacent and in register with the envelope opening, when said insert is substantially completely exposed, terminating in an insert retarding flap, said insert retarding flap folded about a crease in a direction towards said envelope retarding flap said insert retarding fiap disposed at an acute angle relative to said insert, the two retarding flaps, thus positioned to engage each other when said insert is substantially completely exposed but not completely disengaged from the envelope, to inhibit complete disengagement of the insert from the envelope under ordinary sliding forces exerted on the insert; the correspondence piece thus defined being detachably connected along any closed edge to a corresponding closed edge of an envelope of at least one additional correspondence piece as defined in this claim.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 537,656 4/1895 Waters 22976 673,864 5/1901 Dunn 22976 1,253,489 1/1918 Houghland 229 -9 2,726,758 12/1955 Brower 20639 3,302,844 2/1967 Henry 229-19 X FOREIGN PATENTS 375,694 6/1932 Great Britain.

DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, Primary Examiner. 

